The constant buzz of notifications, pressure to perform, and low-grade background stress are pushing our bodies into overdrive. In response, the wellness world is shifting focus—not toward surface-level fixes for better skin or deeper sleep. We’re talking practices that address something more primal—the need to feel safe, soothed, and steady. Welcome to the era of the nervous system reset.
On social media, #nervoussystemreset has clocked millions of views, with users sharing everything from ice baths and humming rituals to forest walks and fascia release as ways to ‘come back to baseline’. This isn’t just biohacking or sleep-stacking. It points towards a deeper recalibration that is slow, intentional and somatic.
The reason we are all craving this reset, simply, is because modern life is frying our circuits. The 24/7 scroll, chronic overstimulation, and collective emotional residue from global and local crises are keeping our sympathetic nervous systems—the 'fight or flight' crew—on high alert, all the time. Meanwhile, the parasympathetic state—the calm, grounded, ‘rest and digest’ mode—feels increasingly hard to access. A nervous system reset is about finding some sort of balance between the two. Instead of hiding or escaping from stress, finding ways to regulate the system in between the extremes.
“Chronic stress locks the brain in a permanent emergency mode,” says Miloni Ruparelia, a Canada-based mental health therapist and clinical psychologist. “[In this state,] our prefrontal cortex—the decision-maker—shuts down, while the amygdala, the brain’s fear centre, takes over. When this becomes habitual, we lose clarity, feel anxious, and often face hormonal imbalances, disrupted sleep and memory issues.”
Tanvi Mehra, yoga educator and founder of Tangerine Arts Studio in Mumbai, has observed a marked shift in her classes that underscores this collective exhaustion. “Almost everyone who joins now is seeking stress relief and anxiety reduction. People want to feel good internally, not just look good externally.” For Mehra, yoga is more than flexibility: “It’s always been about building mental and emotional resilience. Now’s the time to return to those roots.”
This return to grounding practices isn’t confined to the yoga mat. As conversations around mental health and somatic healing gain momentum, a broader spectrum of wellness modalities is emerging, each aimed at calming the nervous system. And no, it doesn’t require vanishing into a remote ashram. Today’s nervous system tools are as diverse as your Spotify Wrapped. Some swear by TRE (tension and trauma release exercises), others by lymphatic drainage, breathwork or EMDR (eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing).
Like elsewhere, India, too, is incorporating nervous-system–supportive practices into mainstream wellness. Even luxury resorts are embracing the trend. While they may not explicitly say their treatments offer this form of regulation, many align with principles that may assist the body to reset its internal stress responses.
Take Oleander Farms, a resort property nestled among the hills in Karjat, Maharashtra. Founder Aaliya Ahuja speaks about how they have integrated yoga and spa therapies into their regular programming, through partnerships with Yogic Gurukul—led by the Dixit siblings of Kaivalyadhama Yoga Institute—and Mumbai-based Sohum Spa. “Feedback has been fantastic, especially from corporate groups looking to recharge and reconnect. Our location is surrounded by mountains, lakes, and waterfalls—we plan to leverage this natural setting for more wellness initiatives,” says Ahuja.
This trend appears to be a response to hustle culture’s glorification of burnout. Rest isn’t lazy, but in today’s culture of busyness, it feels revolutionary. “I have students with PTSD, many going through separation, miscarriages, some suffering from diseases like Parkinson’s, diabetes, PCOS, and thyroid issues, to name a few. The breath, especially resonance frequency breathing [slow breathing at either a fixed pace or at the exact resonance frequency], has made a big difference to their lives. They’ve been able to develop the skill to self-regulate and face challenges by working on their mental grit and inner peace,” says Mehra.
But whether it’s a slow, phone-free morning walk, humming your way into vagal tone, or swapping your third coffee for a magnesium-rich cacao latte, the nervous system reset isn’t a one-size-fits-all protocol. It’s a mindset shift. “There’s often a disconnect between emotional and physical symptoms,” says Ruparelia. “Many clients don’t immediately link their panic attacks or gut issues to unresolved trauma or emotional suppression—but it’s all part of the same system. A disregulated nervous system perceives even safe situations as threatening.”
Also, just because one chooses not to work on unresolved emotions or trauma doesn’t mean that it goes away or disappears. “It lingers on and comes up in ways like an altered brain structure, cardiovascular diseases, anxiety, sleep disturbances, etc. Imagine it being like a pressure cooker with no outlet. At one point, it will explode,” says Ruparelia. The good news? It’s adaptable—with the right tools and awareness. That’s where intentional, consistent practices come in—not to erase the past, but to help the mind and body process it in real time.
Ruparelia echoes the need for consistency over complexity. Her daily toolkit includes journalling, breathwork, body scans, movement, and something surprisingly simple: a feelings chart. “Tracking emotions regularly builds self-awareness, which is the first step in regulation.” And while traditional self-care advice may urge bubble baths and breaks, she offers a harder truth: “Self-care isn’t always pretty. Sometimes it’s about asking uncomfortable questions and facing what we’ve buried.”
One piece of advice both experts agree on? Start small, stay consistent, and trust the process. “Even if a practice seems meaningless at first, it might be exactly what your nervous system needs to heal,” Ruparelia says. “You just have to be willing to do the work.”
